Playing around with stamps, oxides and crayons

When I'm in a creative mood and have no photos

to scrap and journaling to write

I like to keep the juices flowing by messing around.

I get a bunch of stamps and pull out whatever mediium 

that rocks my mojo and let'r rip.

So the leaves are a cling stamp and I used oxides.

I used a multitude of crayons and then rubbed vintage photo

distress ink over them. 

It covers a lot of sins and make things stand out.

I also traced the leaves with a graphite pencil and did a

scribble thing I saw on line only it looked way better when 

they did it. 

I'll probably fussy cut these leaves.

This flower stamp annoys me because no matter how

I stamp it just doesn't all come out.

I use a rubber mat, a brayer, and glass. 

Anyway, it looks really cool when using the oxides

by doing the tap and scrape method as

nothing is perfect.

Crayons on the stamped flowers.

I decided to not rub distress ink over these 

and I do love that method, but I can always add it.

My friend Holli is the proud owner of these stamps

and we get together and crop and swap so I

always stamp a few to take home with me, actually

I do several stamps mostly because the first

few don't come out right, but I have a stash because

if it really looks fun and cool why

not use them often.

These were done with the crayons.

As you can tell I love the crayons. 

They'll be used for journaling cards, embellishments, etc and the

bonus is they're premade. It'd be fun to build a page

around them. Just sayin...

I wish I could tell you the colors but I pull out all that I own

and after I use one I toss it on the pile and then...

well...no names of the crayons.

All was done on watercolor paper.

 

Valentine's Day cards for the grands

These were so much fun and easy to make. 

Seriously.

Picked up the embellishments first along with some hearts

to match with this Doodblebug collection "lots of love' which is the 6x6

paper pad that I wasn't going to purches. My pal, gifted me. 

Love my friends.

The embelleshmnet packed "odds and end"

was used for the really fun and

cute stuff on the front.

And there's a ton of stuff in the packed in there.

Each card just fell together.

Love them.

 

There's a fine line between genius & crazy mini album - Made with Tim Holtz STUFF-mostly....

I don't normally order stuff on line but I was soooo

excited to get some TH stamps - called "Good Thoughts"

and there it is - one on the front cover.

In putting the album together, I picked out all the tags and

big stuff from one or two of his ephemera packs.

It laid around for awhile because I didn't know what I wanted to do.

In the meantime, since it was laying about - I took some

gesso and whitewashed the pages because they

needed to be mussed up a bit to hold stuff.

And it looked cool.

Once I got rolling it came together but I did have to remind

myself to not overthink things. 

Those stamps and envelops are from my Grandpop's collection

and it's soo cool that I have them throughout my 

albums.

I did use some of my handdrawn stuff and

a few other things that weren't gonna go anywhere else

found a home.

Love that pouch that my pal Holli die cut for me (I have 2 more)

which is a great spot for journaling or more photos.

I did leave some room for other embellies to join in 

because sometimes with titles you find you lack a photo to match.

Honestly I love this style and I used to do this shabby chic/ancestry look a lot.

Ii found it fun to match things up and they way things

are adhered, photos and such can be tucked under if necessary.

I also figured room for matting and I fussy cut the "love this" title from

an old project life card.

Fussy cutting and punches came in handy. 

I love the big finger pointing hand.

And that rooster, swoon.

Picked that stamp up from my LSS - and so far....yum.

I tried doing something on the back and it didn't quite work out

and my attempts at a cover up aren't 

working out either.

So I may need to resort in a heftier cover up. 

I'll keep ya posted.

 

Homemade project life cards

 I love making my own project life cards.

They are so much fun when Tim Holtz and his oxides and distress inks 

are at your fingertips.

I added the coffee cup which I drew was added.  I

fussy cut that adorable house from one 

of those embellishments from the Pink Fresh paper pad

which I have to admit that all the cards came from there.

Finally used some really really old Studio Calico washi tape

and that stamp on the circle where I attempted a

concentina fold with tissue paper.

The butterflies are a Michael's stamp - like in the $1 bin

and that card was made with shimmer powders.

Love them.

Also just between you me that circle with the conentina fold

is covering up and hole that said Good times.

I thought if I cut it out I'd like that "look" and

because the card I used it on had journaling and those

itty bitty grey dots covered the writing 

AND

therefore a repurpose of that premade acrylic card that

I whacked up because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The struggle was real.

3x4 size

Baby boy 4x4 album

For my new great nephew.

I love how it turned out.

Little man is supposed to be born on the 21st of FEB

I'm on the 18th and my dad (great grandfather)

on the 20th it'd be great to hit his.

Fingers crossed.

So I put the 21 in there just in case. 

Maybe I'll add 18 and a zero LOL.

Busted some stash - using really old 

Basic Grey.

I loved Basic Grey.

One is an Aurora 6x6 pad and the other

I don't recognize and lost the title page LOL.

Little bit of TH in there. I found a milk top from KY

which is where the little man will be born.

The baby stickers are from Paper Studio.

And bits and bobs from other miscellaneous stuff

and punches.

And a sticker book from Kaisercratft about dad.

Also whipped out the die cuts, fussy cut and drew my own stuff.

I alternated on the 2x2s with embellishments

and photos that can be used and all

can be rearranged.

Had fun with the moon die.

I also did repeat some of the stickers which

makes the album well an album

that flows.

The last of my 4x4 albums that at first I had a 

love hate relationship with because

of the 2x2 page protectors.

I don't know little man's name or initials which can be 

added at anytime.

There's also a baby blanket in the works and a run for baby stuffs.

A Wedding Card & Mini Album

Our nephew recently married so of course I made

a card for them.

Using die cuts and punches, I love how

it turned out. 

I used sort of "autumn" colors since it is November after all.

On the inside of course I had to use my new

Tim Holtz 3D heart die cut and I love how it turned out.

The sentiments are also from a TH phrase booklet.

So THEN, at my LSS I saw this DCWV 6x6 pad that ALSO had 

embellishments to go with.

So, our nephew and new niece LOVE the beach, shore, ocean

and this was perfect.

I absolutely fell in love the papers.

They were just perfect along with them embellishments

and lots of stuff to fussy cut in the paper pad.

I made a tag to tuck in the envelope

which I love and hopefully there'll be journaling on it.

I used our invitation in the album as well and it was so

pretty it needed no embellishment.

I only put a couple of photos in, because there aren't

many out there that are really good

and I didn't take many either.

I know. My bad.

Is that paper not gorgeous and perfect.

And those embellies.

YUM.

f 

Of course I wanted to give some guidance as to what to do.

Tucking stuff in, journaling, etc. and of course,

I couldn't do that on a plain white piece of paper so...

I made this tag that I just loved and really didn't want

to give it away LOL.

I absolutely loved making the card and the album.

 

This year's Christmas Cards

I had an opportunity to make some

cards for our Vets this year.

It was a lot of fun, using Ranger Oxides

and Crayons for the stamped images.

I bundled them up in

order to drop them off easily.

And for the grandkids I made them sort of

alike, yet different.

LOL.

Using a Sissix die cut that didn't

have a lot of moving parts which was

lovely.

Some nights I did one, up to 3 maybe

four so it didn't take but a couple

of days doing it that way.

I did all the card cards at once and the same,

but I wanted Santa to be somewhat different.

I  did the Santa's and all the die cut things

one-at-a-time and put them together as

they came off the die cut machine and then

added them to the cards and

finished it inside and out.

it was so much nicer and easier in

keeping all the parts together,

including the dies because the pieces didn't

get scattered and drive me nuts.